Customers Thought Steak 'n Shake’s New Tallow Fries Were Seed Oil-Free—But Are They?
Steak 'n Shake just pulled off what seemed like a fast-food miracle—ditching industrial seed oils in favor of frying their famous shoestring fries in pure beef tallow. Customers cheered. Health-conscious foodies rejoiced. Even RFK Jr. gave them a shoutout. But now, the internet is buzzing with a new, less appetizing revelation: those golden, crispy fries might still be hiding a dirty little secret.
Steak 'n Shake's recent decision to transition from vegetable oil to 100% beef tallow for frying their signature shoestring fries has been celebrated by many, particularly those leading the MAHA movement. Their decision aligns with a growing trend among fast-food chains to revisit traditional cooking methods that offer superior taste and potential health benefits.
The initiative was allegedly inspired by company owner Sardar Biglari's childhood experience in Belgium, where he tasted fries cooked in beef tallow and deemed them the best he'd ever had. Chief Operations Officer Daniel Edwards elaborated on this inspiration, stating, "He called me one time and said, 'Why should Europeans have better fries than Americans?'" This sentiment drove the company's commitment to enhancing the quality of its fries.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal advocate for traditional fats over seed oils, publicly commended Steak 'n Shake for this transition. He congratulated the chain for being the first national fast-food chain to move away from seed oils, aligning with his "Make America Healthy Again" agenda.
However, rumors are swirling that before they hit the fryer, Steak 'n Shake’s fries are pre-cooked in seed oils before reaching the food chain's kitchens. If true, this could turn their PR triumph into a full-blown fiasco. Will they come clean and fix it before the backlash fries their credibility? Alex Clark, host of Culture Apothecary, highlighted this discrepancy, urging the company to acknowledge the issue and commit to making their fries completely seed oil-free.
Further scrutiny from platforms like Seed Oil Scout has provided evidence suggesting that the fries are pre-blanched in soybean oil before their final preparation in beef tallow, completely undermining the company's health-centric marketing.
In response to these allegations, Steak 'n Shake has denied that their fries are pre-cooked in seed oils. They replied to Clark's tweet with the following message:
"Here you go again Alex.. you still haven't responded to our earlier messages when you posted incorrectly the screenshot. You also said we tried to pay you, also untrue. Whats your beef? Try our beef tallow..we hear it creates positive energy. We cook in 100% beef tallow with no preservatives no chemicals no additives not the brand in screenshot. Take that energy and try to get all other burger chains to switch to our beef tallow. Either they are too chicken or it's too expensive for them. Again, we are working with all our suppliers to eliminate ALL seed oils from our restaurants. If you want perfection, you don’t live in this world! Bottom line, we have declared WAR on seed oils! Who has the courage to say that?! Steak n Shake is the only chain with a backbone!"
Unsure what to believe, customers are expressing both skepticism and hope that the chain will fully eliminate seed oils from their products. In a cultural moment where fast-food chains are finally waking up to what customers actually want, Steak 'n Shake has a golden opportunity—if they step up and serve up some transparency and deliver a fully seed oil-free fry experience.
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